Method of recycling liquified gas tanks and animal feeder made thereby

Abstract

A method of recycling refrigerant or the like tanks to construct animal feeders. The animal feeders include the tanks as feed hoppers and provide a feeding dispensing mechanism which permits adjusting the amount of feed dispensed from the hopper. The tanks can also be recycled by making guards for the animal feeders to prevent small animals such as squirrels or the like from gaining access to feed in the feeders.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method of recycling liquified gas tanks of the type having a cylindrical midportion, substantially conical top and bottom portions, a top valve having a valve shaft, and handles secured to the top portion, said method comprising: cutting a discharge opening of predetermined size in the bottom portion of a liquified gas tank,   securing one end of a sleeve having a bore therethrough to said discharge opening, said bore being sized substantially the same as and aligned with said discharge opening,   cutting a hole in the top portion of the tank adjacent the valve shaft,   securing one end of a predetermined length of wire to one end of a rod, said rod having substantially the length of the tank,   disposing said rod inside the tank,   passing the other end of said length of wire through said hole in said top portion,   winding several revolutions of wire about the valve shaft, and   removably covering said sleeve with a closer cap.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquified gas is a refrigerant and the method further comprising venting refrigerant in the tank to a refrigerant recovery system. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1, wherein the valve further includes a valve handle, a valve stem, and a valve outlet, and the method further comprising cutting a hole through the valve shaft opposite the valve outlet, said hole being aligned with the valve outlet, passing said other end of said length of wire through said hold in the valve shaft and out through the valve outlet, and turning the valve handle to insert the valve stem into the valve shaft, contacting and holding fast said length of wire. 
     
     
       4. An animal feeder, comprising: a feed hopper having a vertical cylindrical sidewall, substantially conical top and bottom portions, and a bottom discharge opening of predetermined size; said discharge opening including a removable closure cap for closing said discharge opening and a closure cap-receiving sleeve adjacent said discharge opening having a bore extending therethrough, said bore being sized substantially the same as and in alignment with said discharge opening;   a rod extendably secured interiorly to said top portion of said hopper for extending axially through said discharge opening of said hopper when said closure cap is removed, said rod being of a relatively smaller dimension in width than the width of said discharge opening, permitting sideward movement of said rod when extended through said discharge opening, said rod having a length dimension substantially the same as the vertical length of said hopper, such that said rod can be entirely contained within said feed hopper when said feed hopper discharge opening is closed by said closure cap so that said feed hopper may be transported with feed to any location; and   a suspender secured exteriorly to said top conical portion of said hopper for suspending said hopper from a support arm.   
     
     
       5. The animal feeder of claim 4, further comprising a scenter removably secured to the end of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper. 
     
     
       6. The animal feeder of claim 5, further comprising a feed collector removably secured to said scenter. 
     
     
       7. The animal feeder of claim 4, further comprising a feed collector removably secured to the end of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper. 
     
     
       8. The animal feeder of claim 4, further comprising a small animal guard secured above the feeder to prevent small animals from gaining access to feed in the feeder, said guard formed by cutting circumferentially off a bottom conical portion of a liquified gas tank to form a dome. 
     
     
       9. A method of feeding animal, comprising: filling with feed an animal feeder including (i) a feed hopper having top and bottom portions substantially conical; and (ii) a bottom discharge opening of predetermined size; said discharge opening including a sleeve having an internal screw thread and a complementarily threaded closer cap, said sleeve receiving said closer cap; (iii) a rod extendably secured interiorly of said hopper to said top of said hopper and axially extendable through said discharge opening of said hopper, said rod having a smaller dimension in width than the width of said discharge opening, permitting sideward movement of said rod; and (iv) handles secured to the exterior of said top portion of said hopper;   extending a portion of said rod through said discharge opening beyond the bottom of said hopper and leaving a remainder portion within said hopper; and   hanging said hopper by said handles from a support arm,   such that when said rod is moved, feed will in said hopper discharge through said discharge opening.   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting said portion of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper to meter an amount of feed to be dispensed. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 9, wherein said rod includes a feed collector attached to one end of said rod extending beyond said bottom of said hopper, and further comprises collecting feed in said feed collector. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 9, further comprising securing a removable scenter to the end of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12, further comprising removably securing a feed collector to said scenter. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 9, further comprising removably securing a feed collector to the end of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper. 
     
     
       15. In a bird feeder of the type which includes a vertically disposed hollow housing including an open top, a peripheral sidewall, a bottom wall, an aperture in said sidewall, and a perch extending outward from said sidewall below said aperture, the improvement comprising a feed hopper operatively associated with said housing for storing and dispensing a reservoir of feed, said feed hopper including a cylindrical sidewall, substantially conical top and bottom portions, and a bottom discharge opening of predetermined size; a suspender secured to said top conical portion for suspending said hopper from a support arm; said discharge opening including a removable closure cap for closing said discharge opening and a closure cap-receiving sleeve adjacent said discharge opening having a bore extending therethrough, said bore being sized to receive the top of the feeder wherein when said closure cap is removed, the top of said housing is removably secured to said sleeve. 
     
     
       16. The bird feeder of claim 15, further comprising a small animal guard secured above the feeder to prevent small animals from gaining access to feed in the feeder, said guard formed from cutting circumferentially off a bottom conical portion of a liquified gas tank to form a dome. 
     
     
       17. A method of feeding animals, comprising: cutting a hole of predetermined diameter in the bottom of a liquified gas tank of the type having a cylindrical midportion, substantially conical top and bottom portions, a top valve having a valve shaft, a valve handle, a valve outlet and a valve stem, and top handles attached to the exterior of said top portion,   superposing over said hole a sleeve having a diameter aligned with the diameter of said hole and securing said sleeve to the bottom of the tank,   cutting a hole in the top portion of the tank adjacent the valve shaft,   securing one end of a predetermined length of wire to one end of a rod, said rod having substantially the length of said tank,   disposing said rod inside the tank,   cutting a hole through the valve shaft opposite the valve outlet, said hole being aligned with the valve outlet,   passing said other end of said length of wire through said hole in the shaft and out through the valve outlet,   turning the valve handle to insert the valve stem into the valve shaft, contacting and holding fast said length of wire,   filling said hopper with feed through the discharge opening,   covering said sleeve opening with a closure cap,   hanging said hopper by said top handles said tank on a support arm,   removing said closure cap, and   extending a portion of said rod through said discharge opening beyond the bottom of said hopper.   
     
     
       18. Method of recycling liquified gas tanks of the type having a cylindrical sidewall and substantially conical top and bottom portions, comprising the steps of cutting circumferentially the bottom portion from the liquified gas tank to form a dome, and securing said dome above an animal feeder to prevent small animals from gaining access to feed in the feeder. 
     
     
       19. An animal feeder constructed by cutting a hole of predetermined diameter in the bottom of a first liquified gas tank of the type having a cylindrical midportion, substantially conical top and bottom portions, a top valve having a valve shaft, a valve handle, a valve outlet and a valve stem, and top handles attached to the exterior of said top portion, superposing over said hole a sleeve having a diameter aligned with the diameter of said hole and securing said sleeve to the bottom of the tank,   cutting a hole in the top portion of the tank adjacent the valve shaft,   securing one end of a predetermined length of wire to one end of a rod, said rod having substantially the length of said tank,   disposing said rod inside the tank,   cutting a hole through the valve shaft opposite the valve outlet, said hole being aligned with the valve outlet,   passing said other end of said length of wire through said hole in the shaft and out through the valve outlet,   turning the valve handle to insert the valve stem into the valve shaft, contacting and holding fast said length of wire,   filling said hopper with feed through the discharge opening,   covering said sleeve opening with a closure cap,   hanging said hopper by said top handles said tank on a support arm,   removing said closure cap, and   extending a portion of said rod through said discharge opening beyond the bottom of said hopper.   
     
     
       20. The animal feeder of claim 19, further comprising a scenter removably secured to the end of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper. 
     
     
       21. The animal feeder of claim 19, further comprising a feed collector removably secured to the end of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper. 
     
     
       22. The animal feeder of claim 20, further comprising a feed collector removably secured to the end of said rod extending beyond the bottom of said hopper. 
     
     
       23. The animal feeder of claim 19, further comprising a bottom conical circumferentially cut portion of a second liquified gas tank, said bottom conical portion forming a dome, said dome secured above the feeder to prevent small animals from gaining access to feed in the feeder.